Your Programming for the rest of the year! (Sort of)

We are done with strength bias, and while I have yet to compile all the numbers there were some impressive strength gains, particularly among people newer to weightlifting in general. This dynamic is pretty typical, with more experienced athletes who are starting from a higher point, improving less total poundage and/or percentage. Speaking very roughly, if you’re a male squatting 1.5 or a female squatting 1.25 your bodyweight your percenatge and total poundage gains are likely to be less dramatic than someone whose at say, 50% bodyweight and so on.

For the next 12 weeks (July/August/Sept) while we will still lift weights, the toolbox will expand and lifts will recur less often. For instance, rather than pullups every wednesday, we will have some measure of pulling action, whether it’s pullups, ring rows, rope climbs etc. Instead of just back squats we’ll see back squats, front squats and overheads, thrusters, box jumps etc.

The olympic lifts will feature more prominently. Remember that ultimately, the Olympic lifts are (for our purposes) simply a way to quantify applying force to an object. As athletic drivers, they are very valuable. Their learning curve is, (in the CrossFit stable of exercises) on the high side, but I encourage those of you unfamiliar with or “bad” at them to give them your best effort and focus and you will be pleased at the effect on your fitness as a whole.

The medium to higher end gymnastics skills are really backburnered during the strength bias, but during this phase we will be devoting 2 periods a week to some of these more technically challenging skills. I’m going to try to post video here the night prior to working on the given action. PLEASE do your CrossFit abilities a favor and watch what gets put up. This will expedite time in the gym quite a bit. If you read that and rolled your eyes at the prospect of spending 8 minutes on your fitness outside the gym, with thoughts along the lines of “I’m just here to sweat and fit into a size 6. I ain’t about watching no video!” I’d encourage you to aim a little higher. If you have patience and get these movements down, CrossFit in general becomes more effective, less frustrating, and makes your looking good/size 6 possibilities significantly better. If the skill is something you’re already good at, I’ll give you a more advanced progression, and support THAT with video as well.

A typical week would lay out as follows

Monday- Skill Development/ Work / Strength- Hip Extension(squat/jump etc)

Tuesday- Olympic Lifting (Snatch or Snatch Drills)/Work

Wednesday- Odd Weeks-monostructural test, even weeks-agility and footwork/ Strength- Pulling Actions (Pullups, rows, ropes)/ Mobility

Thursday- Olympic Lifting (Clean and Jerk and supporting drills)/ Metcon

Friday- Skill Development / Work / Strength- Push (Shoulder press, Bench press, Ring dip)

At the conclusion of September we’d return to Strength Bias for the remainder of the year and then be about 4-5 weeks away from the start of the 2015 CF Open, so during that period we’d narrow the toolbox and focus on perfecting those movements and wod-ing in those time frames.

All that said, here’s the schedule for this week
June 30-July4

Monday- A) Skill- Kipping Pullup (adv. bar Muscle-up) B)Work-Max Rep Thrusters in estimated FRAN time (7 minutes Max), C) Strength- for load 10-8-6-4-2 back squat @ 1-2-1-1.
Kipping Video HERE. Be advised that there’s lots of comments to the effect of “This will destroy your shoulder” and we will speak to that legitimate danger. Bar Muscle Up Video HERE

Tuesday- A) Olympic Lifting-Hang Power Snatch, Hang Snatch. B)Work- CFG Open 11.1 and 14.1 AMRAP in 10- 15 Snatches/30 Double Unders.

Wednesday- A)Work- 10m Max Effort Airdyne/Row/Run. B) Pull 4×5 Snatch Grip Deadlift C) Mobility

Thursday- A) Olympic Lifting- Hang Power Snatch, Split Jerk B) Work- Airdyne 2min for max calories rest 4 mins x 5 rounds.

Friday- A) Skill Development- Kipping/Bar Muscle Up B) Work-3 rounds for time of 15 Toes 2 Bar, 15 Front squats @ 115/80, 15 KB Swings, 15 Box Jumps. C) Strength- Strict Ring Dips

Sign up HERE for the 4th of July Team Games on the Beach

Athletes,  any and all CFCB members are invited to our (sort of) annual 4th of July Beach workout, BUT,  dont just show up.  Please do me a big favor and let  me know if you’re attending in the comments section.  

If you’re not sure, or waiting for a better offer withhold comments until you know.  

There will be some swimming/water interaction.  Typically not very deep at all, chest high.  But definitely dress to get wet.

 

Wilmington residents please meet at the gym at 830 where we will condense cars and carry equipment.  CB people you can meet us at beach access 100 at 9am.  Plan on wrapping up at 10:30 or 11 am at the latest.  Food and drinks are as you see fit.  I will be bringing a decent sized cooler of bottled waters.

Open Gym is 10-12 Saturday and Sunday

Come in, test out, make up what you missed.  Try the new 30 degree treadmill.

WODS for Thursday 6-26 and Friday 6-27

Thursday- Against a 3 minute Clock run 400 m then amrap in time remaining

Round 1- KB Swings 24/16
Round 2- Reverse Burpees
Round 3- Pullups
Round 4- Wallballs 20/14
Round 5- Hang Cleans @ 135/95

2 minutes between rounds. So rounds start every 5 minutes. Score is total reps.

Friday- Fight Gone Bad Format- 1 minute each at 5 stations for total reps. 1 minute between rounds.

1-Crossover Pushups
2-Box Jumps 24/20
3-Burpees
4-Sumo Deadlift 155/115
5-5 m Shuttle run

Record results from Wednesday test out day here: Also- Note the events

4th of July-  Celebrate America the way our forefathers in the Revolutionary War against Russia did:  By storming Carolina Beach with fitness guns a’blazin’!   Wilmingtonians meet at the gym at 830 and we’ll pack the gear and condense cars and meet our CB dwelling friends at Beach Access 100 — just off of Pavilion Place at 9am.  Just follow the smell of funnel cake and merit Ultra Lites.   9 to 10:30 am, then back to CFCB.  

July 19th-  teams of 4 throw down in at CFG IV.  Not to be missed.  The social event of the season.  Prices soon to follow.

Teams are:

Dawn, Wendy, Marcos, Rick

Scott Stalls, Larry, Lia, Jaclyn

Shelby, Alonzo (bf), Bob and Zoe

Jade, Adelynn, Spouse and Spouse (Zach and Stephen)

Greg, Amber (GF), Clark and Andrea

Judging- Whitney and Jamie Keith

 

If you are planning to take part,  please let me know in the comments section below this post.  We need to establish a firm headcount before we open the doors to our friends in the community but outside the membership.   Wallflowers, new members and Singletons, fear not.  Imma hook you up, but I need to know of your interest.  

 

Day TWO test out week. Record your scores here. ALSO be advised, ANOTHER event: 4th of July Beach WOD

The fourth of July falls on a friday this year.  Lets celebrate the birth of the greatest nation the world has ever known by doing crazy looking fitness games on the beach.    8:30 am lets meet at CFCB and condense cars and rendezvous at beach access 100 (our old location) at 9am.  That will ease parking but allow for the day to warm up some.   We will divide into teams and throw some wods together on the fly.  Beverages are on you, but plenty of Carnage, Mayhem and Whoop-ass will be provided.  Count on our old favorites the medball relay, over-unders with the parallettes and run/swim to the buoy and back (its like a normal CrossFit workout,  But with sand, salt water, riptides, blazing heat etc)

 

Please rsvp below.  This one is free.  Stay after we’re over (approx 90 minutes) and enjoy the CB wildlife….

Strength Bias Close. Test out M-T-W WOD Choices

OK.  Twelve weeks of work all lead to this.  1 rep max test out.  Bring your camera phones and get your PR’s on video.

The first 30 minutes of each session on M-T and W  we’ll devote to getting the highest 1 rep max we safely can.  Below are some suggestions but you are always free to modify or ignore any or all of them if, for some reason, you have a way that you like better.

One important note:  I really try to keep the testing process uniform, strict and honest, and we maintain a tough range of motion standard.   I’m your judge.  Make sure I’m watching your attempt.   I often arch an eyebrow at what passes for a valid rep at other facilities, and I really want to make sure no other instructors are arching their eyebrows at YOU, so be advised that what’s written below will be enforced across the board.

MOVEMENT STANDARDS

Squat Movements-  Athlete unracks the bar, descends to where the crease of the hip is BELOW the top of the knee, ascends back to full knee and hip extension (vertical).  Self test:  Drop to the bottom of your air squat.  Put your hand on your own knee. Move your hand in a line parallel to the floor towards your midline.  You should hit yourself in the extremity of you lower abdomen, clearly above your hip.   Targets ARE permitted.

Shoulder Press- Athlete takes the bar from neck at the collar bones or lower, and presses to full extension of the elbow and shoulder.  Bar must be directly over the heels; arms, spine and leg in an unbroken vertical line beneath the bar.  No knee bend at all is permitted.  Ankle extension and hip angle change ARE permitted. Bar bouncing is NOT permitted.  

Deadlift-  Sumo or Standard.  Athlete breaks the bar’s inertia and maintains a continuous rise (no hitching, no stacking on the legs) untill full extension of the knee and the hip (shoulder behind the bar) are achieved.  Bar must be lowered to the ground in the athlete’s hands.  IE- No drop from the top.  This is DIFFERENT than in years past.

Bench press-  Spotter can lift off for the athlete but after releasing the bar to the athlete’s fully extended arms, the spotter cannot touch the bar again prior to returning to full extension. Athlete must lower the bar, contact the chest/torso and return to full extension.  Hips cannot leave the bench.  Be advised!  Some of you do this….  

Pullup-  Athlete must start at full extension of the elbow.  First movement MUST be elbow flexion. Thereafter,  any combination of movements is acceptable.  Athlete must have the chin ABOVE not equal to the hands.  DO not swing or throw the knees ahead of breaking extension at the elbow.

 

Suggestions

Pyramid Warmup   Light for 10, medium for 5, heavy for 2 or 3 and then go.  

Get your favorite bar, bench, rack etc.  

Rest 3 minutes between attempts.  Longer if you had an extended and fatiguing rep.

150/100 mg of caffeine.  5/4 g Creatine if you already take it is just about right for most athletes.  You want to be alert but not jittery.

Good pairings include 1)Squat and Bench or Shoulder Press or Pullup.  2)Deadlift and Bench or Shoulder Press.

Poor pairings would be 1) Bench and Shoulder Press.  2)Deadlift and Squat

 

Metcons-  Your choice of any of the below.  Hopefully it’s obvious to you that you shouldnt do a shoulder taxing Metcon the day BEFORE you test out on the Shoulder press.

ANNIE-  (AKA the Only Easy Named Workout) 50-40-30-20-10  Double Unders/Situps for time.

CFG 4 Prep- 400 M run with a medball, 5 Bear Crawl Laps, 20 wallballs @ 20lbs/14lbs  to 11’/10′ for time.

1000-100-10- 1k row, 100 S20 @ 95/65, 10 deadlifts @ 315/225

Amrap in 10- 10 Airdyne Calories, 10 Burpees

EMOM x 10- 1 rope climb, 4 front squats @ 185/125 or Bodyweight (whichever is greater).  Score is total reps against a possible 50.

 

OPEN GYM 10-12 and 1RM test out notes

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 23-24-25  We will devote the first half of each session to testing your 1 RM and compare your scores to 12 weeks ago.  

Ideally avoid these combinations on the same day:  Bench/Shoulder press.  Squat, Deadlift.  

Please bring a phone and let’s commemorate your anticipated PR’s with some dramatic video.

LAST DAY OF STRENGTH BIAS! Please record bench press and Faux Elizabeth here. 6-20-14

Please record 4×3 Deadlift and 5×500 m Row here for 6-19-14